Uncomplicated Malaria Management Practices and Cost of Illness Implications on Patients in Nigeria: A Systematic Review of Evidence

Abstract

Nanloh S Jimam, Nahlah E Ismail

Background: High prevalence of malaria has been reported in Nigeria. However, there are scanty information on the management practices and cost burdens of the disease on patients. The purpose of this review was to document related previous studies on healthcare workers and patients’ uncomplicated malaria management practices, financial cost and intangible burdens on patients in Nigeria. Methods: A systematic review of literature was carried out using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses’ (PRISMA) approach on previous related studies published between 2005 and 2018 in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), Medline®, PubMED®, Web of Science™-Clarivate Analytics, Embase, Global Health Database, Google Scholar, websites of government department and major multilateral organizations involved in malaria control in Nigeria, and manual references of relevant studies. Only articles that met the inclusion criteria were finally evaluated. Results: Out of identified and retrieved 336 relevant articles, 175 were identified as duplicate and removed. Further screening of titles and abstracts of the remaining 161 articles led to identification of 100 articles and their full texts were further reviewed which resulted in identification of 15 patients-, 13 healthcare workers-, and 9 cost burdens-related studies, with adequate data related to patients’ and healthcare workers’ management practices, and cost burdens of managing uncomplicated malaria in Nigeria. Many studies (36.11%) were conducted in the southeastern region of the country, while the least percentage (5.56%) was from north-eastern part of the country. Conclusion: Inappropriate healthcare workers’ and patients’ management practices based on malaria treatment guideline were observed, which was reflected in the significant cost implications on patients. There were scanty information on studies from some regions of the country, with observed limitations in study methodologies and sparse information on validity and stability of study scales used.